Better Than Me
by harley-kenickie
Summary: The days following the Meta-Crisis Doctor and Rose saying goodbye to the Doctor and the DoctorDonna seemed like they would be highly unpleasant for the coupling. Yet, those days, were the best for them. It was just a few short months later when everything took a wrong turn, with no way in sight of going back.


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The quiet engulfed Rose and her new companion in a way neither one of them wanted. Without speaking the pair kept their fingers intertwined, walked at Jackie's side, and waited for Pete with the car. He arrived shortly after the damaged few started their exit from Bad Wolf Bay. The military Jeep slid to a stop before them. Pete concluded which Doctor it was holding his precious daughter's hand by the knowing look his wife sent to him through the car window.

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A ride home in peace would have sufficed for Rose Tyler. That is not what she got though, as Jackie and Pete unknowingly made the quest harder on the two younger souls in the back seat. Top Chart's music continued to blare through the Jeep's speakers in every second of the horrid hours long drive back to London. Back to the town and home Rose Tyler had known for the past six years she had been away from The Doctor.

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The silence was driving Rose mad.

.

The Doctor rubbed his thumb over his lover's hand, which was still unconditionally connected to his own. Even as they boarded an air plane hours after leaving Bad Wolf Bay, they barely let go of the others hand. Still, they did not speak a word, no. Not even to Jackie and Pete. The two parents began to wonder if the couple would ever return to the universe and talk.

.

"You two are complete rubbish!" Jackie Tyler had had it with her daughter's silent composure. She slammed the door to their overly big house louder than anyone had expected. Jackie had caught the couple's attention at last.

"Mum, not now," Rose was exhausted. The dark bags under her eyes and lack of control over her closing eyelid's expressed that in more ways than she could say. Jackie saw this, knowing Rose nor The Doctor had slept in the past 24 hours, yet still did not care in the moment.

"Rose Marion Tyler," Jackie continued anyway.

"Mum," Rose knew what her mother was going to say, "I know, mum, please, let us sleep. We've got our own way of dealing with..stuff."

The Doctor looked longingly toward's his lover, hoping she was underlying that they were going to be alright, as she led the way to her room.

.

"John Smith." The Doctor spoke for the first time sense the events on Bad Wolf Bay.

Rose stared at him, clearly marking the right side of the bed to be his own, as he popped off his red Chucks. His fluffed hair, sleek blue suit, and general quirkiness told her that this might not be _The Doctor_ but he could be _Her Doctor_. The one living creature in all the galaxies, universes, and dimension's that could absolutely and completely be hers.

She slightly giggled, "Not Smith."

"Why not?" His eyebrows were uncontrollable when he was casually offended in any sort of way.

Rose walked into the bathroom, began changing into her night attire, and yelled back at him, "It's too plain. That is definitely not you."

"Okay, so what? John..." He started.

"Free." Rose spoke confidently, strutting back into the bedroom in only shorts and a tank top.

"John Free?"

"Johnathan Winston Free," Rose fell onto the bed beside John with a thoughtful expression upon her face, "I really like the name Winston."

"Yeah, it's quite alright," They both chuckled at such an old joke between the two of them.

Their door creaked open a bit, allowing one arm to reach in and sit down a pile of men's clothing on a wood bench along the wall. Pete muttered something unintelligible from behind the now closed door and wobbled off down the narrow hallway and back to his own bed to ketch a few hours of sleep before work in the morning. Pete honestly hoped that his daughter and the Doctor would work things out soon and fast. That way it wouldn't get in the way of their day to day life and his household.

"That must have been my dad," Rose gestured toward the pile. John went to it and found a few pairs of jeans, button-up shirts, t-shirts, socks, and a TARDIS blue colored tie. He took a tooth brush from atop the stack and disappeared into the bathroom.

"So, Rose Tyler, where shall our journey take us tomorrow?" John asked, walking out and into bed in nothing but red boxers.

The couple nonchalantly covered themselves with the same blanket and layed on their sides to be able to see the others face. John sent a crooked smile across the small space between them. His breath intermixed with her own. John stared into her hazel eyes, creating an odd sensation through every particle his companions body.

"Uh..." Rose stuttered, "I have no idea."

"Well, that's quite alright."


End file.
